Archive for October, 2012

October 31, 2012 — November 2, 2012 — The Wall Street Journal reports that Allergan is considering a sale of its LAP-BAND® business. According to the story, LAP-BAND surgery has been declining as a result of the economy. Uncertain about their financial future or the stability of their jobs, many patients have chosen to put off bariatric surgery even if […]

October 31, 2012 — November 1, 2012 — The new annual report of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the leading independent national group that evaluates health plans, cites important progress in addressing obesity. First, Medicare’s program for making higher payments to health plans based on performance is reaping dividends. Second, prodded by quality measures, doctors are stepping […]

October 30, 2012 — October 31, 2012 — Children at risk for obesity are more successful in achieving healthy weights when interventions begin early, two European studies suggested. There is mounting evidence that paying attention to children as young as age 3 may be a promising way to stem the global obesity epidemic, according to Dr. Elsie Taveras and Jennifer […]

October 29, 2012 — The Obesity Society, the Obesity Action Coalition, and several other highly respected clinical obesity and nutrition groups submitted a joint comment letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding federal oversight of state benchmark health plan selections. In the next few months, as a provision of the health care reform law, HHS […]

October 29, 2012 — October 29, 2012 — In an effort to tackle America’s growing obesity problem, architects are offering design solutions in office spaces that will encourage people to move and socialize. An article in today’s USA Today spotlights office designs that include such things as centrally-located stairs that more easily connect people and activities versus stairwells that […]

October 29, 2012 — October 28, 2012 — At the awards dinner closing the inaugural Obesity Action Coalition Convention, Chairman Pam Davis presented awards to a handful of OAC members for distinguished service to the organization: Ted Kyle, Member of the Year Beth Sheldon-Badore, Advocate of the Year Rebecca Puhl, Bias Buster of the Year Tammy Beaumont, Community Leader […]

October 28, 2012 — October 28, 2012 — Look AHEAD, one of the largest obesity outcomes studies funded by NIH, has followed more than 5,000 people for up to eleven years. Half of participants were given intensive lifestyle intervention to lose weight. The other half received general support in the form of diabetes education and doctor visits. Participants in […]

October 27, 2012 — October 27, 2012 — Opening the first ever OAC National Convention in Dallas, leaders of the Obesity Action Coalition encouraged more than 250 people in this historic meeting to take power over obesity.

October 25, 2012 — October 26 2012 — Updated nutritional standards for school lunch programs instituted by the US Department of Agriculture in 2010 have helped lead to slightly lower obesity rates among children in certain cities and states. Philadelphia, for example, saw obesity rates among kindergartners through eighth-graders drop from 21.5% in 2006-2007 to 20.5% in 2009-2010. And […]

October 25, 2012 — October 25, 2012 — In the Huffington Post, clinical nutritionist and author Kelly Dorfman says it can be hard to talk to about obesity because people who have extra weight or obesity often have such "emotionally volatile views about their excess weight." Though Dorfman admits that’s not surprising given that many people with the condition […]